Almost ready to serve dinner chili to hubby, but it has too much heat. Recipe called for 1/4 cup of chili powder, and I combined regular (Gebhardt brand) with some ancho and chipotle powders. Also subbed one ribbed, seeded serrano pepper for jalapeno, as grocery didn't have latter. Already added some tomato paste and a little sweetener to tone down. Any other quick, easy way to tame the flames a little? Thank you!!

There's really nothing suitable for food that you can add that will neutralize the capsaicin. You can operate on the peppers before you add them, but once they are in the chili, you can only try to remove the capsaicin by removing the water. It's not water soluble, and you can't filter it, but you just wash some of it out, leaving the solids behind, and rebuild with fresh liquids and seasonings. Some changes can alter the flavors so that someone may perceive it as less hot, but if it's burning, it's still going to burn.

Here's something I haven't tried, but it might work. Capsaicin is oil and fat soluble. Stirring in a significant quantity of some neutral oil and skimming it off might carry off some of the heat. Otherwise, serve a big glass of milk with the chili and plan ice cream for dessert.

If you happen to have a jar of calcium caseinate around the kitchen (you don't), it's supposed to neutralize capsaicin, but I don't know of anyone who's both had access to it at the same time as they had a pot of over hot chili and got to test it.

__________________"Kitchen duty is awarded only to those of manifest excellence..." - The Master, Dogen

Tx, all. Tried a bit more olive oil and some plain Greek yogurt...it helped a little. Froze most of the leftovers and will thin w/more stock and tomatoes, as suggested. Recipe had good flavors...just too much heat. Will mix my chili powders more carefully and use more sparingly next time.

Serrano pepper so small that I seeded and ribbed it by hand rather than with knife...whew...I must be sensitive to capsaicin. Skin still hot and numb even after washing hands.

__________________
"Eating is the best indoor sport." -- My grandfather

Tx, all. Tried a bit more olive oil and some plain Greek yogurt...it helped a little. Froze most of the leftovers and will thin w/more stock and tomatoes, as suggested. Recipe had good flavors...just too much heat. Will mix my chili powders more carefully and use more sparingly next time.

Serrano pepper so small that I seeded and ribbed it by hand rather than with knife...whew...I must be sensitive to capsaicin. Skin still hot and numb even after washing hands.

I suspect it was the chipotle powder that put it over the edge.

Take some vegetable oil and rub it on your hands, then wash your hands with soap and cold water. The cold water will shrink the pores on your hands and the oil will pick up any capsacin still on your hands.

Whatever you do, keep your hands away from your face and away from anything else you don't want to burn!!!

__________________“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” - Albert Einstein

Serrano pepper so small that I seeded and ribbed it by hand rather than with knife...whew...I must be sensitive to capsaicin. Skin still hot and numb even after washing hands.

Perhaps not. IMO serranos are hotter than jalapenos.

You learned a lesson that many of us (me included) learned, wear disposable gloves when cleaning/chopping hot peppers. And definitely do not touch your face or wipe your eyes until gloves off and hands washed.

And another lesson. If you're not sure about hotness cook a milder recipe. You can always serve chopped peppers as a side dish, allowing your diners to pick their own heat.

All the same advice applies to salt. Both salt and hotness can always be added, but neither can ever be subtracted.